2018 Notices

27 September 2018

End of season supper and presentation of trophies

Our traditional end of season meal will be held at 6.30pm on Wednesday, 14th November 2018 at Chez Jules Restaurant on Northgate Street, Chester. The cost will be £13.95 for 2 courses and £16.95 for 3 courses, payable on the night. Everyone pays for their own drinks. At this meal we make presentations, or re-presentations, of the trophies and awards from the 2018 season. It is an excellent event, much enjoyed by all who attend. Unfortunately finding a venue that will take everyone is quite difficult in Chester and, therefore, this event is limited to members of Chester Croquet Club only.

There is a sign-up sheet in the clubhouse. Please put your name on it to book a place. Please contact me by e-mail or on my mobile at 07962234857 if you cannot get anyone to put your name on the clubhouse list.

9 August 2018

Visit by Carrickmines Club of Dublin

We have an annual exchange fixture with the Carrickmines Club of Dublin. They had to postpone the fixture earlier this year but are now coming on the weekend of 25 & 26 August. We don’t have full details yet but understand they will have a team of 6 (4 AC players with a range of handicaps and 2 not very experienced GC players) They are due to arrive on Friday night, 24 August ( don’t know when) and will depart on Sunday 26 August ( time to be confirmed ) to catch the ferry from Holyhead.

Please let me know as soon as possible whether you would like to play – indicating which day and whether AC or GC or both. Our team does not have to be the same on both days. I’ll then agree with Carrickmines a mixture of singles and doubles which best suits those interested in playing. We’ll suggest that we have a meal out in Chester on the Saturday night with the club paying for the Carrickmines team.

Sarah Andrew is managing the lunch and tea arrangements. If you are able and willing to help please e-mail her.

Finally, these kinds of friendly fixtures are much more pleasant (and easier on the pockets of the visitors) if host club members are willing to offer bed and breakfast in their own homes for the 2 nights. I am happy to do so for some of the Carrickmines team. ( There are 4 singles and a couple. ) If you are able and willing to offer accommodation please let me know.

9 August 2018

Christine Long golf croquet tournament

The popular Christine Long golf croquet tournament is being played on Saturday, 15 September.

It is a day long handicap tournament for all GC players, regardless of handicap or experience. Beginners and previous winners are also welcome. The players are usually split into two groups who all play each other, using extra turns based on handicaps, with the final being between the winners of each group.

This year Sandy Finchett-Maddock is the manager for the day and has put a signing up sheet in the pavilion. 16 is the ideal number for the day, so please sign up as soon as you can to be certain of a place.

6 August 2018

Hibiscus end of season short lawn tournament

The annual end of season Hibiscus (‘high bisquers’) tournament is to be held on Saturday, 29 September (not 22 September as in the printed calendar).

This one day AC competition is specifically for new players and those of a high handicap of 8 or higher. It is an opportunity to get in some match play with people of a similar standard, and maybe win a lovely trophy too.

It doesn’t matter if you feel you haven’t played enough or aren’t good enough – it is a great day to have a go.

Doreen Leece is the manager for the day and will answer any questions you may have. You can sign up in the pavilion or send an e-mail to Doreen Leece.

29 June 2018

New Short lawn Inter-Club Competition

Following on from the short lawn team’s stunning win at the Southport Festival, Chester has been entered into the new national Short Lawn Inter-Club Trophy competition. How exciting is that?!

We are looking for all short lawn players who would like to play in this new exciting competition.

Our first match has to be played at Bowdon before the end of August (date to be arranged).

If you would like to be a part of the team, or are interested in the competition, please let me know.

5 June 2018

Just a reminder to check that everything in the pavilion is properly locked up every time when you have finished playing.

This includes the windows, which have been found unlocked, and the Allen key box, also found unlocked last week.

Please be as careful as you can, and double check when you leave.

Thanks

9 April 2018

Start of 2018 RAT League

There will be a RAT League kick start session on Friday, 13 April, starting at 1.30 pm. How long we go on for depends on how many people are there and how long they want to play for. Players in the RAT League will have a chance to play other members who are there, and thus get the season off to a good start.

I am circulating this to all croquet players, just in case anybody else wants to come along and decide whether they want to join the league, and also to forewarn other croquet players (association and golf) that there may be rather heavier use of the lawns on that Friday afternoon, and thus lawn availability may be reduced. I hope you will not mind too much. It will not necessarily happen every Friday.

Regards
Jayne Taylor

2 April 2018

Lawns closed

Due to much heavy rain and more forecast again overnight and tomorrow, the lawns are closed for play today, Monday, 2 April, and tomorrow, Tuesday, 3 April. The lawns are completely waterlogged and unlikely to drain quickly enough or become playable without risk to them for the rest of the season.

This means that the golf croquet sessions tomorrow morning and afternoon are cancelled.

The situation will be monitored and further information will be posted if the lawns become dry enough for play on Wednesday and Thursday.

26 March 2018

AC handicap cards

Now that the new season is almost upon us, would you please put your AC handicap cards into the box in the clubhouse for verification in accordance with NW Fedederation guidelines.

12 March 2018

Plans for an alternate shot AC session on Tuesday evenings

We are introducing a new alternate shot doubles association croquet session on Tuesday evenings starting on Tuesday, 24 April. There will be a draw for higher handicap players to partner with lower handicap players. The idea is to give higher handicap players who have taken part in previous beginners’ and improvers sessions and members who may have enjoyed golf croquet and would like to try their hand at association croquet an opportunity to learn and practice new skills with a more experienced player in real games rather than in lessons.

Higher handicap means full lawn handicaps in the upper teens and twenties and lower handicap means mid and lower teens down to single figures. The equivalent short lawn handicaps are six and above for higher handicap and five and below for lower handicap.

If there is sufficient interest we will organise an end of season ‘one off’ competition for the Croaky Trophy which was intended for a high and low handicap doubles competition but which has been in abeyance for some years .

Please let me know if you are interested in participating, whether as a higher or lower handicap player.

3 March 2018

2018 subscriptions now due

Despite the appalling weather, we are looking forward to our new season less than a month away.

Following ratification of subscriptions at the AGM yesterday evening, 2018 subscriptions are now due. The amounts are the same as last year at £60 for full members and £35 for second club and country members.

20 February 2018

AGM reminder and 2018 subscriptions

A reminder that the AGM will take place at 7.30 pm on Friday, 2 March, at the Westminster Park Community Centre, Five Ashes Road, Chester CH4 7QS. Please come along to have your say and to hear about new developments. The agenda and papers for the meeting are available in the Members Only area.

Our Chairman, Sarah Andrew, has confirmed that she will definitely be stepping down in 2019 but if anyone is interested in being nominated for the role at this year’s AGM she would be pleased to hear from you.

The AGM is the time of the year when we ask members to renew their subscriptions so please remember to bring your cheque book. Along with your cheque, please also ensure that you fill in and return a membership form.

Due to new data protection regulations coming into effect in May, we are required to have your signed permission to use and keep your personal data as we have been doing in the past.. The membership form is the means for doing this most easily and also gives us the information we need to pass on to the Croquet Association. More information about our data protection policy is included with the papers for the AGM.

You may download and print the membership form and return it to the Membership Secretary by e-mail but, if you prefer, paper copies will also be available at the AGM to accompany your cheque.

Please note that the form shows subscriptions remaining the same as in 2017. Although this is highly likely, the amounts still have to be ratified at the AGM so might be amended. Please do not write in the amount on a cheque until after the AGM, but you can still fill in the form in advance.

8 February 2018

Call for volunteers – your help is needed

As usual at this time of the year, we are looking for volunteers to play for the club in NW Federation league matches and to help with the many supporting activities needed during the season. The attached note describes the various roles that we are seeking to fill and there is a separate form for your reply. You may print and fill in the form by hand and then post it to Pat Clare or you may, if you wish, complete the form send it as an e-mail attachment or simply send an e-mail reply. It would be much appreciated if replies could be received by Tuesday, 7 March.

Replies, please, to:

Pat Clare
20 The Spinney
Parkgate
Wirral CH64 6RX

or by e-mail
(Please note that this is not her regular e-mail address)

And, lastly, two reminders. The AGM is due to be held at 7.30 pm on Friday, 2 March 2018, at the Westminster Park Community Centre, Five Ashes Road, Chester CH4 7QS. Papers for the AGM are available in the Members Only area of the website. And there are still places for the Annual Dinner at Chester Golf Club on Thursday, 8 March 2017. For this, please contact Sarah Andrew on 0796 2234857or sarahm.andrew@gmail.com .

Thank you

John Dawson
Secretary

3 February 2018

Plans for an alternate shot AC session on Tuesday evenings

It has been suggested that instead of the AC Improvers Sessions which have previously run at the same time on Tuesday evenings as the AC Beginners Class, we introduce an Alternate Doubles session with higher and lower handicap players with a draw for different partners each week to run initially for 6 weeks. The idea is to give higher handicap players who have taken part in previous beginners’ and improvers sessions and members who may have enjoyed golf croquet and would like to try their hand at association croquet an opportunity to learn and practice new skills with a more experienced player in real games rather than in lessons.

Incidentally, higher handicap means full lawn handicaps in the upper teens and twenties and lower handicap means mid and lower teens down to single figures. The equivalent short lawn handicaps are six and above for higher handicap and five and below for lower handicap.

If there is sufficient interest we could also have an end of season ‘one off’ competition for the dormant Croaky Trophy.

Please let me know if you are interested in participating, whether as a higher or lower handicap player.